Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!philmds!hulsebos
From: hulsebos@philmds.UUCP (Rob Hulsebos)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Semaphore Questions
Message-ID: <801@philmds.UUCP>
Date: 13 Sep 88 07:42:15 GMT
References: <45000017@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: hulsebos@philmds.UUCP (Rob Hulsebos)
Organization: Philips I&E DTS Eindhoven
Lines: 26

In article <45000017@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu> jozwiak@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu writes:
>I was just wondering if anyone knew what Dijkstra's
>semaphore functions P and V stood for in Dutch?

I know of two tales, don't know whether they're true or not.

[1] Since Dijkstra seems to have invented the P and V operations while
    lecturing at Eindhoven's university, and Eindhoven hosts a soccer club
    named PSV, whose stadium was visible from the main building of the 
    university.... need I say more :-)
    BTW, PSV is short for "Philips Sport Vereniging" (Philips Sporting Club)
    so if you use a P don't forget to pay royalties :-)

[2] A process executing P can either 'P'ass or be halted.
    When it then executes the V, it increases the semaphore's counter
    (to increase == 'V'erhogen in Dutch ).
    Thus, P and V are just the first letters of the Dutch words describing
    what these operations do.

Dijkstra is, to my knowledge, still alive and currently lecturing
in Texas. You may want to ask it himself.

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R.A. Hulsebos, Philips I&E Automation Modules       ...!mcvax!philmds!hulsebos
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